The present invention relates to an easy to clean clamping device and more particularly to a fixation clamp for use in an external fixation system for holding bone fragments adjacent to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,240 relates to a clamping device for a surgical retractor and is concerned with cleansing and sterilization problems. It is mentioned that problems occur when components of such a device are lost or misplaced and therefore the clamping device is combined with retaining elements to maintain the device in a fully assembled state even for cleansing operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,069 relates to a clamp using a lever which opens the clamping jaws along the shaft which allows opening of the jaws. This is a solution allowing better cleansing of the parts between the jaws without losing device parts. However, this clamping device does not have a very complex design.
Furthermore prior art documents recommend that for complicated devices, as shown in WO 2005/096966, it is preferred to allow for easy disassembly for cleaning and sterilization purposes. According to this document it is an object of the industry to provide new devices having fewer components than existing devices so that simple operation and cleaning is more readily possible.
However, new clamps, especially for external fixation systems are designed for improved handling and therefore more complicated and disassembly is not a solution.